There’s a huge conversation that’s been happening with the laser-beam focus being placed on the female anatomy. A hot topic of that topic is a girl or woman’s ability to choose whether to be a mum or not. Simply put: Abortion. The topic that has people of the law at odds with the fairer sex and let me tell you, it’s been an absolute rager. You see, what was once an accessible service and unofficially deemed a necessity in society, is being shunned as not everyone feels the same about pregnancy, and trust me, they’ve been pretty vocal about it.
The thing is though, there are some pretty justifiable reasons a woman will want to terminate her pregnancy. The lady in question can have the unborn growing within her as a product of rape which as gruesome an outcome it is, can be seen as even more unfortunate if it stems from incestuous relations. With these two very realistic scenarios, it’s far from difficult to see why a woman would opt for a way out of the heart-wringing reminder of what she went through. Then, there’s the reality of said pregnancy becoming a life-threatening emergency. So, with these three reasons within the droves of reasons, she opts to traverse the route of terminating the pregnancy.
It is at this point I am compelled to address “So at what point during the pregnancy is it okay to get it terminated?” Well, according to the health information site, Medical News Today; “The first trimester lasts from conception to week 12 of pregnancy. The second trimester is from week 13 to week 28.” A medical professional will examine the stage of pregnancy currently in and will then the patient with then be advised on the type of procedure qualified for based on the results. Once she’s cleared for the feticide, she’ll either terminate via “the pill” AKA Medical Abortion or by way of Surgical Abortion. Let’s talk about it.
A Medical Abortion consists of taking two pills, Mifepristone which is taken first, then, no more than 48 hours later, she’s to take the Misoprostol. Whereas a Surgical Abortion, though invasive, possesses a higher effective rate than a medical abortion. The types of Surgical Abortions available are Vacuum Aspiration, Dilation Evacuation (D&E), and Labour Induction Abortion. Vacuum Aspiration or Aspiration Abortions is the most common abortion method chosen. It involves using gentle suction to end a pregnancy and is highly encouraged during the first trimester. With Dilation Evacuation (D&E), the doctor removes the pregnancy tissue with small forceps and then uses suction to remove any remaining tissue. This is performed during the second trimester. Then there’s Labor Induction Abortion, this procedure involves emptying the uterus by force-starting labor and for a 12-24 hours time period, the uterus empties itself of the fetal tissue. Though rare, it is conducted in both the second and third trimesters and is the option recommended when a woman’s life is in danger.
Though, a very real reason that exists why pregnancy is terminated apart from not intending to become pregnant, is medical reasons. During the screening tests which show the baby’s development, if the tests show that your baby has a serious genetic issue or isn’t growing the normal way, abortion is a forerunner for solutions. Termination may also be offered if the woman experiences pregnancy complications that pose a great threat to her life or the baby’s or even both. An example of such is an Ectopic Pregnancy which is a pregnancy that grows outside the uterus usually in the fallopian tube, and either end in a miscarriage or an abortion. While unintendedness is the main option for abortions, other factors that influence the life-changing decision are as follows: Timing births and controlling family size, poverty, and economic reasons, relationship problems, socioeconomic factors (including disrupting education and work), young and unmarried, the risk to maternal health and of course, the pressure to have the procedure done.
So the question still lies: Abortion; is it a lifesaver or is it straight-up murder? Some folks are of the opinion that it is not murder, and then there are those who would love to yell that it is in fact, murder. The “it’s-murder” group thinks that people shouldn’t be standing with their fists balled, sign in hand chanting “My body! My choice!” as recently took place in the United States of America. As the reality of the situation is this, to the “it’s murder” side, in their eyes, when they see and hear the chanting all they can think of is “it’s another human being whose life you’re trying to snuff out” because to them it’s a separate human life altogether that’ll be killed by the potential mum.
However, in today’s society, specifically, in the United States; as previously stated, what was once an accessible service is becoming harder to access. With Roe vs Wade, the foundational 1973 decision legalizing the right to abortion in the United States passed on January 22, 1973; the Supreme Court ruled that the Constitution of the United States protects a pregnant woman’s liberty to choose to have an abortion without excessive government restriction. This no longer stands, for in 2022, so far, thirteen states across the country have signaled their readiness to ban abortion by passing so-called trigger laws, which would ban most abortions almost immediately if they are allowed by the Supreme Court. On May 25th, 2022, came the signing of the most restrictive abortion bill in the entirety of the United States. In the pro-life state of Oklahoma, Governor Kevin Stitt signed a bill that bans nearly all abortions starting at the point of fertilization. The exception to the bill would be necessary abortions that save the life of the mother and those that are necessary due to incest and rape.
So, lifesaver or murder? I can comfortably say that the world’s torn about that, emphasis on the United States. See, because in truth and in fact, abortion acts as a lifesaver when the mum’s life is in danger, for example, an Ectopic pregnancy. With the completion of the frowned-upon-by-many act, the mother’s life is saved and if applicable, the on-looking partner would lose the mum as opposed to mum and the baby. Or, in the tune of unwanted pregnancies, lives aren’t negatively impacted by the responsibility of a baby that they as a couple weren’t financially prepared for and at the same time, a baby that isn’t wanted. Or the frequent occurrence of unwanted pregnancies due to being raped. If a family member forced the patient to engage in incestuous acts then it shouldn’t be hard to grasp why she would want to rid herself of the lingering evidence turned reminder of those inconsolable and unforgettable moments.
So abortion, again: lifesaver or murder? Whatcha think?
